A National Security Bureau (NSB) plan to establish a new department for cybersecurity in the coming months has received wide support among legislators, but some expressed concerns about security over recruiting “hackers” to work in government offices.
Bureau Director-General Lee Shying-jow (李翔宙) confirmed during a legislative session on Thursday that preparations are under way to recruit computer professionals from the private sector to staff the new cybersecurity unit, which is scheduled to start operating on May 1.
The new unit is to be designated the 7th Department (第七處) of the NSB and will have four working divisions: general services; research and development; countercyberattack; and network system defense.
Photo: CNA
The establishment of the new department represents the largest restructuring the bureau has undergone in two decades, and is seen as an important policy initiative and personal accomplishment of the current bureau chief.
The bureau, which is in charge of national security and intelligence affairs, was established in 1954 as an outgrowth of a division within the Department of Special Affairs in the Presidential Office.
After the lifting of martial law, the bureau’s mandate and organization with six major departments were set out in the Organization Act for the National Security Bureau (國家安全局組織法) of 1994.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) questioned the inherent risks of employing “hackers” to conduct cyberwarfare missions, saying they might pose a threat to national security.
Lee disagreed on the use of the term “hackers,” saying they are “cybersecurity experts.”
“They have already performed some assigned tasks and have done very well. So, we are looking to amend the laws regulating information and communications to fully utilize their talents within the bureau’s framework, without infringing on national security,” Lee said.
Most legislators backed the plan and endorsed a proposal to increase the bureau’s budget and expand its mandate.
Some suggested that Lee recruit members of Taiwanese youth teams who have won top places in international hacking competitions.
However, some lawmakers expressed misgivings about whether these individuals would fit in in a government setting where rules and restrictions abound.
“These skillful computer professionals are highly creative, but they are unrestrained in their ideas and habits,” Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said. “It would be difficult to properly manage them, which might lead to national security problems.”
“Our government agencies operate with a conservative mindset and in a highly restricted environment,” Tsai said. “It is unlikely that many young netizens and hackers would want to join the 7th Department.”
The bureau currently comprises six major departments, along with an Internal Security Department, a center for information collection and a Special Service Center for the personal protection of the president, vice president and their families.
The six departments are: international intelligence; intelligence operations focused on China; domestic security intelligence; analysis of national strategic intelligence; science and technology intelligence, and communication security; and research and development, and sections for deciphering and cipher code equipment.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting
RSS